Pamphlet-coverer.



A. BREDENBERG.

PAMPHLET COVERER.

APPLICATION man APR. 3, 1911.

11,1?@@%u Patented A131. 18, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

wi lmao/oa o A. BREDENBERG PAMPHLET COVERER.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 3,1911- 6 A 1 1,,179fi92. Patente pr. 19 6.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. BREDENBERG.

PAMPHLET COVERER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1911.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A BREDENBERG PAMPHLET COVERER' APPLICATON men APR. 3. 1911.

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x a 0 a W H vous therefrom.

UNI ED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

ALFRED BREDENBERG, OF CHAMPLAIN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF SHERIDAN IRON WORKS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK, AND & C. B. SHERIDAN COMPANY, .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ONE-HALF TO THE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED BREDENBERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Champlain, Clinton county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pamphlet-Coverers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to pamphlet coverers and more particularly to those machines in which groups of leaves or signatures which are to constitute the books are presented consecutively to instrumentalities designed to operate thereupon for performing one or more of the different steps in the binding and covering of pamphlets,.magazines or other books.

The invention has for an object to provide improved mechanism for the purpose of performing certain of the operations in volved in the course of binding and covering; and more particularly to provide an efficient and reliable mechanism for applying or attaching a cover or blank composed of paper or other suitable material to the backs of the pamphlets, magazines or other books. I

Other objects will appear hereinafter in the following description or will be obvi The invention consists in improvements, mechanisms, combinations and arrangements herein shown and described. v

The accompanying drawings referred to herein and forming a part of this specification, illustrate one embodiment of the improvements, the same serving in connection with the description to explain the principles of the invention.

t In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front viewtaken' partly in section on the plane ,11

of Fig. 3 of a book binding machine or asuflicient portion thereof to illustrate the principles of the present improvements, certain mechanisms being omitted to which the present improvements are not specifically directed but which can be supplied by reference to prior Patent 1,073,324 granted Sept. 16, 1913. Fig. 2 is a right end elevation of the mechanisms seen in Fig. 1 taken partly in sectionupon the plane 2+2 of Specification of Letters Patent.

' which the the novel parts,

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

' Application filed April 3, 1911. Serial N 0. 618,613.

Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same taken partly in section on the plane 3- of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a right-hand elevation on an enlarged scale of certain of the parts seen in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a'righthand elevation of the same parts as in Fig. 4 but showing the same in adiiferent stage of operation. Fig. 6 is a similar elevation of certain-of the parts seen in Figs. 4 and 5 but in a different stage of operation. Fig. 7 is a right-hand elevation taken, partly in section upon the plane 7-7 of Fig. 5.

In the class'of book-binding machines to present improvements are shown as applied, it is usual to have a series of holders or or leaves to be treated, these holders connected 'for instance to an endless device by which each holder is made to travel from one part of the machine to another so as to carry the book through to be operated upon by the several mechanisms or instrumentali ties. In a single machine the following operations may be performed successively, for instance in the order now to be mentioned, namely: the holder which may be to avoid confusion termed the book holder, is first opened to receive the book or the leaves or signatures to be treated, after which it is closed or clamped to firmly hold the same during the several operations; they being fed into the holder by a feeding-in mechanism if desired. Next comes the operation of a trimming mechanism which trims or partly trims the edges of the leaves as required for the proper performance of the succeeding operations. Next comes a roughing or cutting mechanism which treats theedge of the group of leaves in a manner that is well understood; following which may come a brushing operation by a brushing mechanism. Thereafter the book ONE-HALF TO '1. W.

devices for carrying the books holder carrying the book is presented to a relates to the mechanism for applying or attaching a cover or cover blank to the back of the pamphlet, magazine or other book,

it being assumed that a portion preferably the back edge of the book has been previously moistened with adhesive, although adhesive might be applied to the cover instead of the book within the main features of the present invention; and a book binding machine constructed in accordance with the present invention (whether or not it has all of the mechanisms above referred to) in cludes among other elements, a cover applying device or applier adapted to receive cover blanks successively and cause them to be applied to the books and pressed between the books and applier, as shown, by a movement of the applier toward the book. With this applieris combined means for feeding blanks successively to the applier in proper position to be applied, and preferably positioning means or gages on the applier will be included.

According to another feature of the invention a book holder for holding the leaves,

signatures or book and a stack holder for holding a stack of blank covers are combined a cover applier that cooperates with the book holder, and also a transferrer which moves to and fro so as to successively transfer covers from the stack holder to the applier the transferrer advantageously having a relative movement causing it to encircle the applier passing over it on the transferring movement and behind it on the return movement, thus permitting quick restoration ofthe parts and greater speed without interference.

- According to another feature of the present improvements, mechanism is contemplated which operates in case' there is an accidental omission to remove a cover from the applier in the regular way, such mechanism coming into operation to grasp the cover and remove it to a suitable receptacle from whence it with others may ata proper time be removed and replaced on the table' or stack holder.

The above and other features of the invention will be-more particularly set forth in the following detailed description of one instance or embodiment of the invention.

Detail reference willnow be made to the particular embodiment of the invention" which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The reference'Z will be used to designate the book or group of leaves, while the references Y and 3 respectively will be '65 used to designate. the stack or supply of covering mechanism will be hereinafter described in connection with the latter. In the upper part of the frame are upper guides B and lower guidesB shown in the form of channels with flanges turned toward each other, adapted to receive between them traveling parts B each of which together with the book holding clamp to be described may be considered as a carrier, this forming a convenient means of positioning the book relatively to the covering mechanism. If desired, there may as usual be an extended series of boo-k carriers, and as before stated the guides B and B may form a continuous track, and'the carriers a connected train, so that on completing a cycle each carrier stands in position ready to commence a new cycle. The detail shape and other features of such track do not need to be shown or described, but for convenience there is illustra'teda means of connectingsuccessive carriers into a train, this being in the form of a pair of pivotally joined members 6, b, one

' above the other, the two together forming a slide engaging the track B, B, and each one of the parts I), '6' being connected to adifferent carrier or book holder. This not only connects the carriers into a train but permits such relative motion as may be necessary when the same is passing around curves in the track. On the outside of each of the carriers is a suitable clamp constituting a book holder and comprising a front clamp part C and a rear clamp part C, the means for clamping which together will be well understood and not further referred to..

Coming now-to the portions of the machine more particularly involved in the present invention, it will first be understood that by means of an automatic adhesive-applying mechanism or otherwise, portions of each book or leaf-group, preferably the back edge and sometimes the margins ofthe side faces, have been moistened with adhe- 'sive, and preferably also a fibrous strip will cover blank is properly positioned upon it for application to the book, the book on the other hand being positioned by the book holder before referred to so that when the applier.

machine is operated the back of the book will come into contact preferably along the center line of the cover blank, as will be hereinafter more fully and completely described.

The cover applier D as shown is of a form capable of receiving a cover-blank fiatwise from a supply or stack thereof maintained at another position, by a transferring mechanism whose details will be later described. The applier D, which successively receives the cover blanks fiatwise and preferably one at a time, is shown as having a recess that may be filled, with, for example, soft rubber so as to form a soft or yielding pad, which is sometimes better than a hard surface for pressing a cover to the edge of the book, but is not essential for the purposes of the present invention. Such an applier is conveniently constructed of a two-part platen. the two parts cl, (Z thereof forming a substantially flatsupport for the cover blanks but having between them the rubber filled recess '(Z. An appreciable depth to the recess and pad is preferably eifected by providing a supporting member (2 of the shape shown.

Positioning means for the cover blanks on the applier may comprise a side plate and a projection (Z? atone end. The side plate or gage d may be adjustably secured to the platens by the sliding pieces 61 engaged in straps The end positioning device or gage d may also be adjustably secured, conveniently by forming it at the end of a rod or wire (Z which slides through apertures formed in projections d and (Z at the underside of the supporting member 61 of the A regulating screw (Z is shown provided for moving the gage d" more or less distant from member (Z said screw engaging the fixed block d and carrying a movable block (Z which has gage (Z secured to it.

As a means for causing relative movement of the book or the book holder and the cover applier toward and from each other, the following may be employed. An-extension E seen more clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, is shown as projecting from the member 0Z of the applier, this extension Eserving to support the applier and in turn being supported by mechanism which raises and lowers it so as to move the applier toward and from the book. Extension E is secured at the upper ends of vertically sliding rods 6, e which are connected by a cross-head E to give rigidity, and which at their lower ends slide within fixedly secured slide-ways e, e,

mounted on the base A. The crosshead E has a bearing surface such as projection e and-against this bears the toe e of an actuating lever e which is pivoted at e to a fixed part of the machine such as the stand ards e, e", and at its far end beyond the pivot is provided with a roller 6 engaging an actuatingcam e whose contour is seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

A main or driving shaft X which is suit- .ably driven by a pulley or otherwise, has

may be considered as a single part or device taking the form of a shaft and having mechanical connections for driving the different mechanisms in harmony with each other or in the order hereinafter described.

The cam 6 has an outer concentric portion and an inner concentric portion, the two connected by two eccentricv portions, which latter acting on the roller 6 cause the movements of the lever 8 the extension E and the cover applier from one to the other position, while the concentric portions serve to retain the same in those positions. Thus rotation of the cam e rocks the lever e and alternately lifts and drops the toe e and the crosshead and extension E carried 'thereabove. The effect of this motion is clearly seen in Figs. A and 5 where one position is shown in full lines and the other in dotted lines. In Fig. 5 in full lines the cover applier has been shown as raised from lower to upper position which has forced the applier and cover 3 into contact with the book Z, as clearly indicated.

In connection with a cover applier such as that indicated, having gages for positioning the covers, an auxiliary mechanism may be employed cooperating with the gage d, for example, namely by moving the cover resting upon the applier into contact with the gage. Such device may conveniently be in the form of a light strip of metal or other material adapted to be flicked against one edge of the cover to force the cover against the gage at the opposite edge. A flick F is shown in full lines in Fig. 2 in idle position, and at F in active position. A short shaft f, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, carries-the 'fiick F at one end and is rotated at proper times at the other end, said shaft being journaled in a fixed part of the machine, for example the standard 7. A crank arm 7' on the shaft f has connected to it a rod f which extends conveniently in a diagonal direction to where it may engage and cooperate with a cam f on the same shaft X that carries the cam 6 already referred to. A roller f is the part that directly engages the cam f and this roller and the lower'end of rod f and the upper end of a swinging arm 7, are all pivoted together by means of a pin f; the arm f having its lower end pivoted to a fixed part of the machine such as the bearing f whereby it gives guidance to the movements of the roller 7' and the rod f as they are actuated by the cam f Cam 7 has inner and outer concentric portions connected by eccentric portions serving to move the flick F from the full to the dotted position of Fig. 2, and thereafter hold it there, and thereafter return to the'full line position, the upward movement serving to position or justify the cover blank against the gage d5, and preferably taking place immediately after a cover blank has been transferred to the applier D. Spring f keeps roller f in contact with cam f.

A description will now be given of the stack holder for the cover blanks and its operating mechanism, then the transferring mechanism for conveying blanks fro-m the stack holder to the applier, then the safety contrivance before referred to, and finally the preferred cooperation or mode of action of the entire combination.

A stack holder G is; adapted to hold cover blanks in bulk and permit them in successionto be removed from the stack holder to the applier. The stack holder illustrated is one mstance of an instrumentality for this purpose, it being shown as sustaining the stack Y of cover blanks, the several blanks arranged horizontally and piled one above the other into a column. The blanks are shown as actually resting on a table 9, Fig. 2, located between the vertical parts 9 and the top horizontal part '9 of a frame, and the base A of the machine below. It being desirable that the table 9 should be moved upwardly to compensate for the blanks removed from the top of the stack, said table is shown mounted upon a pair of vertical screw threaded rods 9 9, preferably geared to rotate in unison in a well-known manner, whereby the table may through the rods rotation be fed upwardly. The details of this construciton do not per 86 form an essential part of the present invention, and any arrangement thereof will suflice for illustrative purposes. A handle 9 is shown for causing the rotation of the threaded rods 9 g so'that the feeding can be done by hand if desired, although by well-known means automatic operation thereof is also permissible.

Figs. 2 and 3 indicate a gripper or transferrer J about to remove the topmost cover blank y. To assist this contrivance in.

engaging the topmost cover blank, means may be employed for slightly detaching or lifting the edge of such blank, thus permitting a more accurate cooperation and insuring that only one blank at a time will be transferred from the stack holder. A convenient means for this purpose may comprise a suction device H in the form of a small inverted cup or tube having a connection as through flexible pipe 7L with an exhausting means not indicated. The operation of the device H is to move'upwardly and downwardly in harmony with the other parts of the machine so as to at the proper times lift the edge of the topmost cover blank; an actuating mechanism therefor may comprise an oscillating lever 71., pivoted at k to a fixed point and-supporting at its end it the suction contrivance H. The end h of the lever is forked and shaped with depressions as seen in Fig. 2, in which depressions rest pins h located on either side of the device H. This permits relative movement and thereby permits the suction device to be maintained in vertical position by a light rod h pivoted at h to a fixed point,.and at h to the upper portion of the suction device which as a whole is T-shaped having the cross-member k at its upper end. The relation of the lever h and rod 71, is such asto maintain the suction device substantially vertical, and the up-anddown movements of the latter may be effected, for example through a link 71.? connected at its lower end to the lever 71, and

at its upper end to an arm k secured on cal shaft k? which may be oscillated in any desired manner to cause the oscillation of.

shaft k and the up and down movements of the suction device. Such actuation, for example, may be accomplished through an arm 71.", Fig. 3, which is secured to the vertical shaft h and the arm k may be moved either by hand or automatically from any desired part of the machine in accordance with the spirit of the present invention.

When the suction device H is in its lowest position in contact with the cover blank 3 the pneumatic action causes the latter to adhere to the former so that upon the lifting of the device H the cover y is lifted, and this action is made to occur just prior to the engagement of the top cover by the transferrer J.

The transferrer J is adapted to successively transfer the cover blanks from the stack holder to rest upon the applier, and preferably accomplishes this by having a to and fro or reciprocating movement, it eifectingthe transfer of a blank on one movement, and thereafter returning for another blank. A convenient way of carryingv fro sliding of the block K. Fig. 4 shows the principle of the actuating mechanism, it comprising a freely rotating gear is engaging two racks, namely an upper rack 10 carrying the block K, and a lower rack 7: which alone is fixed in position. I The mounting of these parts and the machine member Z: is illustrated in Fig. 1, which also indicates that the gear 7: is held in engagement with the racks through an extension r flanged or enlarged at Z so as to form a groove in which engage two fixed plates or bars a, between which the extension 76 moves to and fro with the gear.

By moving the gear to and fro it acts upon the upper rack 70 in a well-known manner, causing the latter to correspond ingly move to and fro but at twice the speed of the gear. In this way rapid movement of the block K is secured. To move the gear, mechanism is shown employed, including a link k to which the gear 71: is freely pivoted, the other end of the link being pivoted at 7:2 to a swinging arm 70 mounted on the shaft 7r journaled at it" to the base of the machine. The member is has extended connection with the shaft is so as to give it great solidity and regularity of movement. A. powerful spring Z4 tends to swing the arm 7r" from the front toward the rear. and opposing this spring for causing the arms movements the following mechanism may be employed. on the same shaft is that carries the arm 7:) is mounted a second arm A in a convenient position to cooperate with the actuating cam hereafter to be referred to. [\rm it is pivotally con-- nected to a bar it which extends rearwardly and has provided at its rearmost end a roller Z' engaging the actuating cam is". The rear end of bar Z carrying the roller 76 is supported in its movements by a pair of arms 71:. A. connected at their upper ends to said bar and attheir lower ends to a convenient shaft having bearings at 70 The actuating cam In" for the block K has an outer concentric portion serving to hold the block in its front position, an inner concentric portion holding the block at its rear position. and two connecting eccentric portions which cause the blocks movements through. the train of mechanism described and in harmony with the other parts of the machine.

The transferrer J may be of any convenient construction, but preferably it comprises a gripping means, such for example as a pair of gripping jaws or -members' 7'. j, the latter of which may be relatively fixed, and the former of which may be movable upwardly and downwardly. The relative arrangement of the different parts of the machine is well shown in Fig. 3 where the slide is and the sliding block K carrying the transferrer J are seen to be well to one side, namely the left; hand side of the cover applier D. By this arrangement and by constructing the gripping device so as to extend outwardly through the extended member seen in Fig. 3, certain advantages are secured which will hereinafter appear more fully. The aforesaid member 7' is shown as a hollow sleeve, secured at its left-hand end to the block K. It contains within it a rotary or oscillating rod 7' and the sleeve j and rod j are the means respectively which carry the lower gripping jaw j and the upper movable gripping jaw j. The lower gripping jaw j may be soldered to the sleeve j and for strength it may be of the triangular formseen in Fig 3. The upper movable jaw may be soldered to a collar j, which in turn is secured to the rod at its extreme outer end. By this arrangement the lower gripping jaw may be held stationary at the correct position to pass beneath the top cover blank 3 and the upper jaw may be moved to cooperate with the lower jaw by gripping and releasing the cover blank at the proper times. A. spring 3' engaged at its ends by a pin j, and by the movable jaw 7', gives a tendency to keep the jaws closed. In order to cause the upper jaw to open at the proper time, actuation of the rod 7' may be effected through a member taking the form of a wheel 7" secured at the end of the rod farthest from the jaws. This wheel is seen in Figs. :2, 8, 4, 5 and 6. Oscillation of the wheel causes the jaws to open and close. A pin j is provided on the wheel j, the purpose of the pin being to cooperate with certain parts external to the transferrer for causing the grippers to operate in harmony with the movements of the transferrer. The operation is best seen in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 which show the parts in different stages. In Fig. 4 the gripping jaws are closed upon the topmost cover blank and the transferrer is in the act of drawing said blank from the stack Y to the applier D. Fig. '5 shows the transferrer with the gripping jaws having been moved to its extreme right-hand position. During this motion the pin 7' has met and contacted an external device 7' having an inclined surface at 7' which has wedged or forced downwardly the pin j so as to rotate the wheel j and open the jaws j, j as seen. The position of the surface 7' is such that the jaws open at the proper point to release the cover blank and leave it in substantially correct position upon the applier. The transferrer with its jaws, etc., might return to the stack at any convenient stage of the operation, but it is preferable to have it return immediately after the applier has been lifted from the dotted position to the full line position of Fig. 5. In this way the transferrer is enabled to pass beneath the applier and resume its original position without loss of time and without interference. between the parts; this highly 1mportant result being attained by reason of the extended length of the sleeve y' and rod j supporting the gripping jaws and connecting them to the slide K located well to one side of the applier. The relative movements of the applier and the transferrer are such that the latter may be said substantially to encircle the former, it passing first over it and then returning beneath it. While the transferrer is returning and preparing to operate on a new cover blank the applier is applying and pressing the previous cover blank to the book and holding it sufliciently long to insure adherence between the two. Fig. 6 illustrates a subse: quent position ,of the gripping device. The pin y' of the wheel j has just contacted the inclined under surface of a dog j -which is oscillatingly mounted on a fixed pivot 9' carried by an overhanging frame member 7' and said dog 9' has a stop j enabling it to resist any tendency to swing while the gripping device is returning toward the stack Y. By reason of this construction the pin j is forced downwardly, rotating the wheel 9' to the right and opening the jaws, they having been previously under thev action of the spring j". Fig 6 shows the open jaws which are in the act of moving into engagement with the topmostfcover 3 Obviously on a slight further movement beyond that shown in the figure, the pin i will pass beyond the incline of the dog 7' allowing the spring to act to close the jaws upon the cover blank. The presence of the dog j will not interfere with the firm grasp of the jaws upon the cover blank during the movement of feeding the blank from'the stack to the applier, for as will clearly be seen in Fig. 6, the dog i is capable of freely rotating to the dotted position 7' thereby enabling the pin j to ride under it without affecting the jaws. I

In the operation of book binding ma-' chines, it is sometimes liable to happen that an operation will be omitted. For example, in the class of machine indicated herein, one of the book holders might be lacking a book, the same having been removed because defective or for some other reason. In such a case with the mechanism hereinabove described a cover, blank will have been fed to the applier and it will. have been left there on account of the absence of a book to apply it to, so that on the arrival of the succeeding book a second cover blank will have been fed; and if this should frequently happen there might be accumulated a number of cover blanks on the applier, which would seriously interfere with the efiicacy of the machine. Moreover these cover blanks closed would be destroyed and wasted. In order to preclude this a mechanism is provided which whenever a cover blank shall have been left on the applier instead of being properly applied and removed with a book, comes into operation to engage and remove the superfluous cover blank from the applier. This special cover removing device will be operable after the operation of the applier, and in the disclosed form of machine will preferably be operable at the lower applier position, andalso at the rearmost edge of the cover blank so as to preclude the possibility of mutilating a cover that shall have been properly applied to a book. To engage o-r grip the superfluous cover blank there is herein employed a constantly acting device such as a rotating roller L shown in its upper or idle position in full lines Fig. 2, and in its lower or active'position in dotted lines L. Fig. 3 shows a portion of the rearmost side of the applier cut away at l to permit the operations of the roller L, it being understood that if a cover blank has been accidentally left upon the applier the corner of the blank will extend over the cut away 1 area 1 and the removing roller L will act upon this part of the blank. In its active position the roller L contacts an idler Z adjustably or yieldingly mounted by devices Z in such a position that when the rotating roller L is brought downwardly a portion of the cover blank willbe gripped between the two rollers L, Z, and by the rotation of the former caused to feed rearward from the applier. For moving the roller L upwardly and downwardly while maintaining its rotation, the following mechanism may conveniently be employed. A bar Z is pivoted'at Z to a fixed part of the machine, and this bar has the roller L pivoted to it at its extremity, said roller being connected to rotate with a pinion Z which is geared to a second pinion Z which in turn is connected by pinions Z, Z Z? to a pinion Z mounted to rotate about the same axis or shaft Z as that to which rod Z is pivoted. A series of small pinions of this nature enables continuous rotation .to be maintained in the roller L while obviating the interference and other difficulties of a difierent motion transmitting mechanism. The last mentioned pinion Z is driven by a gear Z mounted on a horizontal shaft Z journaled at Z Z to a fixed part of the machine. The shaft Z may be driven at any desired speed and by any means since its speed has no necessary relation to the other operations of the present machine.

For causing the up and down movements of the roller L the arm Z may have a rear extension m, to which is secured a down wardly extending rod m pivotally secured at its lower end to a lever m pivoted at m to a fixed part of the machine and extending beyond such pivot to a point where it is provided with a cam roller m, engaging a cam m mounted on the same shaft X that carries the cams f, e and is already mentioned. A spring we may be connected to a pin m Fig. 3, on the arm m? tending to pull down its rear end to keep the roller m in engagement with the cam'm.

The cam m has concentric and eccentric portions being of such contour as shown that i during the major part of the revolution the roller L is kept in its upward or idle posi tion as seen in Fig. 2, but is lowered for a short space of time this preferably occurring after the applier has operated and is returning or has returned to lowered posi tion, and preferably also just after the book Z and its book holder C have commenced to feed away from the cover applying mechanism' hereof. Owing to the very rapid rotation of the roller L a very short operative period suffices to effect the removal of the superfluous cover blank from the applier. This branch ,of the invention contemplates also that: the superfluous cover blank removed by the roller L shall be taken charge of by proper mechanisms and conveyed to a suitable special receptacle N where the superfluous blanks accumulate, and may at convenient times be returned to the stack Y. Referring to Fig. 2 the rotating roller is seen in active position in dotted lines L engaging the idler Z, the two being in such position that a cover blank gripped between them and forced rearwardly willpass to a peculiar belt arrangement and become engaged with the belts so as tobe carried bodily away to the receptacle N. An arrow it indicates the point at which the covers enter the belt system. The following is a convenient arrangement for this purpose. Two belts n, n are seen in Fig. 2, they forming a. coiiperating pair which may be duplicated, for example four times as seen in Fig. 1, according to the width of the cover blanks to be conveyed. Referring to one of the pairs ofbelts, one of them n is shown passing around a pulley a mounted for convenience on the same shaft Z that .carries the gear Z; and the belt a I passes also around an upper or driving pulley 41. the second belt n likewise passes around a lower pulley n and an upper pulley 11.. Neither, however, of the belts assumes the ordinary course of travel between one pulley and the'other but is 7 caused to take asinuous path whereby for a large part of their travel the two belts n, n will be in intimate contact with each other. This result is effected by the illustrated arrangement in which the pulley n is set into the path of the belt n while the pulleyn is set into the path of the belt W. This is very conveniently accomplished simply by arranging the axes of the four pulleys in line with each other and applying the belts in the manner shown. This entire system of pulleys and also the pinion system driving the roller L will be actuated at comparatively high speed, this being accomplished for example from the driving. shaft n which carries all of the driving pulleys n of the four pairs of belts, said shaft n being rotated by a convenient means such as pulley n engaged by belt n, engaging in its turnanother pulley n upon a shaft n whose power connections are not shown.

The path of the superfluous cover will be manifest from the arrangement of the rollers as seen in Fig. 2, especially in connection with the arrows indicating the direction of movement of the belts, etc. Each cover as it is engaged at a between the two belts, passes upwardly until it is shot outwardly to the rear into the receptacle N.

The operation of the herein described machine may be as follows. Assuming that a strack Y of cover blanks has been fed upwardly to a proper point, and thatthe rearward edge of the topmost blank 1 has been lifted by the suction device and grasped by the jaws j, j, as seen in Fig. 2, and that a book Z has been adhesive-covered along its lowermost edge and has been fed to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, then for each book the following operations will occur. The applier D will have been moved to its lower position seen in full lines, Fig. 4. The transferrer moves rearwardly carrying the cover blank y, it being shown in the act of doing this in Fig. 4%. On reaching the proper position the transferrer releases the cover blank leaving it resting upon the applier. The flick F then moves upwardly and forwardly pushing the cover against the front gage (Z thus accurately positioning it on the applier. The applier is thenraised toward the book and forces the cover y against the adhesive covered portion of the book, holding it in this position long enough to insure adherence. In the meantime the transferrer is returned beneath the applier to its original position ready to transfer another blank from the stack Y; the jaws of the transferrer in this operation being automatically opened and afterward closed upon the topmost blank, and the edge of such topmost blank having at the same time been slightly lifted by the suction device H to facilitate its engagement. The applier is lowered leaving the cover adhering to the book and permitting the two to be advanced or fed away from the applying mechanism and another book fed into place. In case of the lack of a book or other accidental omission to apply a cover, the superfluous cover thus left on the applier is carried downwardly when the applier is lowered and is thereupon engaged by the roller L and removed to the belts n, n which rapidly convey the cover blank to the receptacle N. Substantially all the above described operations are effected or controlled from the power shaft X through the different cams and other connections indicated, and the exact contour of each of the cams will preferably be such as to carry out the different operations in the order above specified.

It will be seen that by reason of the construction above shown and described a book covering machine is provided which answers the objects and affords the advantages of the invention as hereinbefore set forth; and other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It is to be understood that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the precise construction shown nor to any particular construction by which the invention has been or may be carried into effect, since .many changes may be made in the details of the parts without departing from the main principles of the invention and Without sacrificingits chief advantages.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A book or pamphlet covering mechanism including in combination a stack holder for supporting a supply of book covers, positioning means for holding a book against vertical movement with its back edge protruding downwardly, a movable cover applier fitted to lift a cover to bring a portion thereof into contact against the back of the book means for raising the appliertoward the book-holding means and lowering it, and means for successively transferring covers from the stack holder to rest upon the applier.

2. A book or pamphlet covering mechanism including in combination a stack holder for supporting a supply of book covers, positioning means for holding abook against vertical movement, with its back edge protruding downwardly, a movable cover applier fitted to lift a cover to bring a portion thereof into contact against the back of the book, means for raising the appliertoward the book-holding means and lowering it, means for successively transferring covers from the stack holder to rest upon the applier, and means for positioning the covers after their delivery on the applier.

3. A book or pamphlet coveringmechanism including in combination holding means for positioning a book with its back edge protruding, a bodily moving cover applier fitted to move a cover to bring a portion thereof into contact against the back of the book, a cover gage therefor, a device for moving the cover to said gage, and mechanism for actuating said device before the cover is applied to a book.

t. A book or pamphlet covering mechanism including in combination a book holder for positioning a book with its back edge protruding, a stack holder for supporting a supply of book covers, a cover applier relatively movable to and from said book holder fitted to move a cover to bring a portion thereof into contact against the back of the book, and a cover transferrer movable alternately to and from said stack holder and said cover applier; the parts so cotirdinated that the tra-nsferrer in its feed movement moves a cover over and upon the front of the applier before the latter relatively moves toward the book, and has its return movement behind the applier.

5. A book Or pamphlet covering mechanism including in combination a book holder for positioning a book with its back edge protruding, a holder for a stack of covers, a cover applier cooperating with the book holder for applying a 'cover to theback ofthe book held therein, means for moving the cover applier toward the book to move a cover to bring a portion of the cover into contact against the back of the book, and a transferrer having means for causing it to travel both above and below the applier and to transfer a cover thereto from said stack holder on each operation.

6. A book or pamphlet covering mechanism including in combination a stack holder for supporting a supply of book covers, positioning means for holding a book against vertical movement. with its back edge protruding downwardly, a movable cover applier fitted to lift a cover to bring a portion thereof in contact against the back of the book, means for raising the applier toward the book-holding means and lowering it, and means for successively transferring covers from the stack holder to rest upon the applier, said cover applier being constructed to permit the cover to be depressed into the applier by the book in the act of applying the cover to the book.

7. A book or pamphlet covering mechanism including in combination a cover applier, holding means for positioning a. book with its back edge protruding, means for feeding covers to said applier, means for actuating the applier to bring a portion of a cover in contact against the back of the book, and a device operable after the operation of the applier for removing from the applier any cover that may not have been applied to a book, said removing device comprising a constantly actuated member, and means for causing engagement thereof with the unapplied cover; and automatic mechanism for operating the applier and said device in the order nanied- 8. A book or pamphlet covering mechanism including-in combination a cover applier, means for feeding covers thereto in succession, means for lifting. the applier to carry a cover to the book and lowering it, a book holder movable to and from cover applying position, and a device for removing from the applier at the level of its lowered position any cover that may not have been applied to a book, said device adapted to grip such cover at its forward edge, and means for automatically causing its operation after the book holder has commeneed its movement from cover applying 10 position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALFRED BREDENBEBG.

Witnesses:

vJ. W. AVERM, Jr.,

JOHN LINDER. 

